7/17/14

The Silver Arrows continued their unadulterated dominance on the 2014 season with another win at Silverstone. The 10th round brings the F1 circus to Germany, Mercedes-Benz’s turf. Expect a crowd. A big one.

A lot is riding on this race. But we’ve waded through everything-F1 so you didn’t have to.

Here’s what you need to know:

What’s on the line: Nico Rosberg’s engine gave out in England, handing the lead and the win over to his teammate Lewis Hamilton (almost as if the crowds willed it). That brings Lewis within four points of Rosberg going into the German’s home race. This could be the race each of them needs to gain the upper hand.

Who to watch: Williams Martini Racing’s Valterri Bottas scored a solid spot on the second step of the podium with an epic drive at Silverstone. Expect his desire for the top step to be at an all-time high at the Hockenheimring Sunday.

Underdog: The announcement that Kimi Räikkönen would join fellow world champion Fernando Alonso at Ferrari was supposed to mean a team for the ages. Thus far it has been anything but. Ferrari’s ’14 F1 challenger has been a dog on a good day and only seen results through Alonso’s sheer skill to wring the best out of anything. Coming off of a massive crash at Silverstone, Kimi needs to prove he still has the same tenacity from his first stint at the Scuderia and silence the critics.

Wild card: McLaren promised so much and has delivered so little this season. But with Jenson Button nearly scoring a podium on home turf and the rookie Kevin Magnussen also scoring solid points, the boys from Woking could be on the upswing. With a host of upgrades headed for the MP4-29, McLaren could be set to spoil the day for a podium regular or two.